


The Target

by Hermaline75



Series: Five Trope Tales [3]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Assassins & Hitmen, Bottom Thor, First Time, M/M, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:26:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22092535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hermaline75/pseuds/Hermaline75
Summary: Thor keeps seeing a mysterious man around and always when terrible things are happening.Loki keeps saving a man's life.
Relationships: Loki/Thor
Series: Five Trope Tales [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/772704
Comments: 25
Kudos: 115





	The Target

**Author's Note:**

> Waiting for inspiration for a longer fic to strike, I decided it was time for another Five Trope Tale.
> 
> This time around, the random pages dictated by TV Tropes are:  
> 1\. It Began With A Twist Of Fate  
> 2\. Deadly Gas  
> 3\. Nephewism  
> 4\. It Doesn't Mean Anything  
> 5\. Every Japanese Sword Is A Katana
> 
> Let's go!

Thor was just trying to buy eggs.

It shouldn't have been difficult. Shouldn't have been exciting. Just a little trip to the supermarket on a Saturday for his uncle, nothing more.

But the local shop didn't have any eggs and so Thor elected to walk to the next closest one and that was when he met... _Him._

Well, he said "met". It wasn't really meeting. It was more seeing. Just seeing a guy standing in a doorway, looking at something on his phone, nothing out of the ordinary. But his eye was drawn immediately to the dark hair and sharp cheekbones, the height and evident athleticism. Physically, he liked this very much. He wouldn't say he had a type, but he knew what he found attractive and this guy... This guy was it.

Not that he'd consider taking anyone home to Uncle Vili's place. He wouldn't take a girlfriend there, let alone a boyfriend. He still hadn't come out as bi, despite all the online advice he'd read on how to do it.

Poor Uncle Vili needed a bit of warning, he felt. It was bad enough having to hide a little bottle of lube down the back of his nightstand for... private time.

And therefore, Thor kept his eyes to himself and continued on his way, stepping around a weird stain on the pavement. Looked like wet cardboard, or like the biggest chunk of old gum in the world. Gross.

He got almost to the end of the street when he heard running footsteps behind him, half turning, and then found himself being tackled to the ground.

And then there was an explosion. It seemed to reach Thor slowly. The booming sound, the rain of shrapnel, the ringing in his ears.

And then the beautiful man rolling off him, looming into his vision.

"Go!" he yelled. "Run!"

Thor scrambled to his feet and set off sprinting, his handsome friend right behind him.

"What's happening?" he asked in between panting.

"Never you mind. Just get out of here. Get somewhere safe. Go home."

And so Thor ran, no particular direction, just away until he ran out of breath, leaning against a wall and gasping for air.

Somehow, he stumbled home, aware that he was dusty and bleeding lightly from the forehead where something must have caught him, giving poor Uncle Vili the fright of his life, especially since he couldn't really explain what had happened.

"I don't know. Some kind of... incident, I guess."

"Incident? Like terrorism?"

"No, no. I'm sure it's nothing like that. Just an accident probably."

The news said it was a gas explosion and that no one was hurt. Thor scoured the footage they showed but the angle was wrong. There was no sign of him or the stranger just out of frame.

For some reason, he didn't mention the man who saved him to his uncle, just nipped to the overpriced corner shop for eggs and resolved to have a quiet night.

He couldn't shake the feeling that it hadn't been a gas explosion at all though. Otherwise, how had the man known it was about to happen? You couldn't predict these things.

No. Something weird was going on here and it burned him to know that he'd never find out what it was.

Or so he thought, until he was making his way home from work, sat on the bus, and became aware that people around him were coughing. More than normal, more than just the usual post-New Year colds.

They were... They were choking on something.

Something was very, very wrong.

"Hey!" Thor called. "Hey, stop! Stop the bus!"

Even pressing the "Stop bus" request button didn't work, panic breaking out as everything lurched violently to the side, crashing into a thankfully empty shop front, and Thor realised to his horror that the driver was slumped over the steering wheel.

Instinct took over as they crunched to a halt, grabbing the emergency hammer and smashing one of the big windows at the back of the bus, little square shards of safety glass raining down. Thor made his way along the aisle, trying to help people nearer the front, his head spinning as he tried to get to the driver.

He needed help, he needed to get out...

Hands seized his shoulders, pulling him back, even as he tried to fight them.

"Run," a strange voice said. "I'll get him."

Dark hair, some kind of breathing equipment covering his face...

"You..."

"Get out! You need air."

Thor stumbled back to his makeshift exit, scrambling out, half falling onto the tarmac.

There were a lot of people, some helping, some awkwardly standing around unsure what to do. Someone had evidently called an ambulance, people being treated with oxygen.

It all felt rather distant. Like he was seeing it from far away. But he had to see where the man in black went. He'd been wearing a gas mask of some kind. Like he'd known what was going to happen...

He watched, detached, as the bus door clunked open, the man in black emerging and approaching a nearby paramedic, flashing some kind of badge at them, sending them running to carry the driver out.

And then he rolled his shoulders and started walking away.

Before he knew what he was doing, Thor gave chase.

"Hey! Hey, wait! Wait!"

He struggled to catch up as the man turned a corner, his lungs heavy, coughing and spluttering.

A hand on his back, patting gently but firmly. He must have hidden, let Thor run past him. A schoolyard trick. Embarrassing.

"Go home," the man said. "You'll be fine with a bit of fresh air."

"No. No, tell me what's going on. This is the second time this month. Something weird is happening."

A light chuckle.

"Second time you've seen me, certainly. Hopefully it won't happen again."

He was walking away and Thor stumbled after him.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

The man turned, looking at him with something like pity in his eyes.

"Think of me as your guardian angel, Thor. And, please, go home."

And with that, he was gone, round the corner and out of sight.

It was rather a while later, as he watched the news report about the accident - one person taken to hospital, others treated at the scene - that Thor realised he had absolutely no idea how the stranger knew his name.

***

Loki ran his drills, katana light in his hand, focussing his mind and his body and trying desperately not to think about his current charge.

Thor was... more interesting than he'd anticipated. He'd observed him from afar, his coming and goings. He found him oddly fascinating. And, yes, there were the obvious physical attractions, but he was also forever doing tasks for his uncle, helping people out. He seemed... nice.

His first instinct on the bus had been to run towards danger, to try to help others. No sense of self-preservation whatsoever.

No wonder he was becoming more and more difficult to protect.

So far just this week, there'd been the bus, falling masonry, a concealed hole in the ground and a close encounter with a venomous moth. Thor had been mostly oblivious from what Loki had seen. As he was meant to be.

He shouldn't have allowed himself to be seen at all, but the explosion had been a close one. He hadn't seen it coming. Sloppy, messy, and far, far too close.

But he wasn't the only one. A carbon monoxide leak on a busload of civilians? So much collateral damage; the paperwork alone would have been dreadful.

A faint change in the air behind him had Loki spinning, bringing the tip of his sword under his mentor's chin.

"Good evening," she said, pointedly pushing the blade away with the tip of one finger.

Loki sighed, lowering the weapon and sheathing it.

"He's still alive, I hear. Well done."

"Yes," Loki said. "Safe at home, the neutral space. All my data says he doesn't go out at night."

A nod, pursed lips.

"Sure about that, are we?"

Something about the tone worried him, frowning and rushing to his computer. He'd put a tracer on Thor's phone as soon as he was chosen, monitoring where he went, knowing which shops he went to, which bus he caught, getting a feel for his habits.

And they did not involve going out on a Thursday night where he would be vulnerable to all sorts of murder attempts.

"Where's he going?"

"That's for you to figure out. I shouldn't even have tipped you off that he'd left the house. But, well... I enjoyed watching you capture the Lonomia obliqua. Highly amusing. The adult form isn't actually venomous, you know, just the caterpillar. She must be getting desperate. And you know what that means..."

"She'll be erratic," Loki said.

He was gathering all the equipment he might need to keep Thor alive. Gas mask, antivenom, antidotes, fake ID in case the authorities got involved; the hit was meant to look like an accident so knives and guns shouldn't be a risk but then again, it could be as simple as shoving him down some stairs...

The human body was distressingly breakable.

"Good luck!"

Loki hoped he wouldn't need it.

***

It was a whim, really. Thor didn't like feeling out of control. He wanted to exert some order over his own life.

And that meant he could go out dancing in the middle of the week if he damn well pleased.

It was chilly, but that didn't seem to matter to his fellow revellers, wearing the usual thin jackets and short skirts. Thor felt a little out of place in dark jeans and a random plain t-shirt, but he wasn't going to let it bother him. He was here to drink and dance and forget himself for a few hours.

It was oddly busy - maybe one of the student nights, he wouldn't know - and it took a while to jostle his way to the bar and ask for a pint.

No sooner had he very carefully made his way out of the throng of bodies then his drink was being taken out of his hands by a familiar face.

"Don't drink that," the stranger said.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to buy you another one. And then we're going to dance."

Thor was completely baffled by this development but, well, he wasn't going to complain.

A few sips of beer later, he let himself be led to the edge of the dancefloor, hyper aware of his limbs, trying his best to keep to the beat.

"What's your name?" he called over the music.

"Pardon?"

"What's your name?!"

A look, a hesitation.

"Loki."

"Cool."

That wasn't what you were meant to say, was it? Loki frowned at him in confusion and then seemed to spot something over his shoulder, grabbing his wrist and pulling him away into a dark corner.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Thor asked.

"Just stick with me and act natural."

That was much easier said than done, but Thor tried his best to dance, hoping he looked suave and sophisticated, or at least not like a complete idiot.

He was awkwardly finishing his pint and wondering where to put his plastic cup when Loki suddenly grabbed him and shoved him up against a wall, kissing him like he'd never been kissed before.

Not that he'd ever really been kissed before. Not properly.

Not like this.

His cup fell from limp fingers, hands flying to wrap around Loki's back, feeling him let out a strange hum against his lips, something he hoped was a good thing. God, he hoped he was doing this right.

It _felt_ right. It felt amazing. His heart was pounding and his lips were tingling, feeling a warm body pressed against him, almost lewd in the way they were clinched together.

He didn't know why this was happening but he didn't care at all.

And then Loki pulled away, slightly flushed in the flashing lights, turning round carefully.

"OK," he said. "Let's go. Come on, let's go."

Thor let himself be led. He'd follow Loki anywhere right now, feeling like a fawn as they took the steps down onto the street, the chill air refreshing.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Home."

"You mean... You mean your place?"

"No. I'm going to put you in a taxi and you're going straight to bed."

Thor blinked, unsure, still following along.

"Oh. Oh, because in there... I thought maybe..."

"What?"

"You kissed me."

"Yes, and? It didn't mean anything. Do you go home with everyone you kiss on nights out?"

"I don't really kiss anyone."

He said it without thinking, feeling a blush rush to his face. He sounded like some kid, some dumb teenager.

"Handsome guy like you?" Loki asked, heading for the taxi rank. "I find that difficult to believe."

"Well, it's true, so... So there."

They stood in the queue, Thor unsure and Loki looking very suspicious, peering around. He was very strange. Thor was beginning to wonder if maybe he wasn't very well.

"So why did you do it, then?" Thor asked.

"What?"

"Why did you kiss me if not for... that?"

A baffled look, a shrug.

"Because someone is looking for you and I need them not to see you so I hid you as best I could."

Alright. He definitely wasn't well. That made less than no sense.

"Why are they looking for me?"

"Trust me, Thor, if I told you, you'd never believe it."

Thor considered that.

"Try me," he said. "Maybe I'm more credulous than you think."

"I can't. Not here. Not in the open."

Stranger and stranger. They were nearly at the front of the queue, giving Thor very limited time to weigh up his options.

"Then come home with me and explain there," he said. "In... you know, private."

Loki looked at him like he was the one being cryptic and bizarre.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "I could be anyone."

"You've saved my life twice, if not more. That hardly makes you just anyone."

And because he was feeling reckless, he added, "For one thing, I'm pretty sure I owe you."

"Owe me? Owe me what?"

He didn't want to say it out loud...

"You know... A little..."

He waggled his head. Hoped his meaning was clear.

"You want me to fuck you?"

"Jesus!" Thor stammered. "Not so loud, God. But... Yeah. If you want."

He tried to make it sound like no big deal, like he wasn't still burning from their kiss. Like he wasn't hoping against hope that this would happen.

Front of the queue. Taxi. Thor opened the door and waited for just a second, hoping. Wanting to take him home. Wanting him to want it too.

"Ah, fuck it," Loki sighed, getting in. "I've already broken half the rules anyway."

As soon as he pulled the door shut, Thor started to wonder if this was really a good idea. He'd told Uncle Vili not to wait up, but what if he was still awake?

And what if Loki realised he'd never actually done this with another person before?

He glanced sideways nervously, catching Loki in profile, swept back hair and beautiful cheekbones, a lithe body that had felt so good in his arms, delicate hands and long fingers... He found himself unconsciously licking his lips at the idea of sleeping with a man like this.

And so he'd have to be brave.

The house was dark when they pulled up outside, paying the driver. Good sign. Hopefully Uncle Vili was asleep.

"We'll have to be quiet," Thor said softly, unlocking the door.

"For your uncle?"

"How do you...?"

"Shh..."

He let Loki in, padding silently through the hall and down towards his room. Like he knew where it was.

This was getting weirder and weirder all the time.

Thor followed, turning on his lamp, soft yellow light flooding the room and illuminating Loki where he sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed.

"How do you want to do this, then?" he asked.

It really was very difficult to act unaffected.

"Just see where we end up, I guess."

Loki eyed him for a moment and then shrugged, starting to undo his shirt, slowly, button by button.

"Fine by me."

Thor became aware that he was staring and hurriedly tugged off his t-shirt, hesitating before removing his jeans but not his boxers. Not yet. Already, his excitement was getting the better of him, a distinct fullness to the fabric.

Loki looked him up and down and smirked lightly, calmly folding his shirt and then approaching, his hands firm at Thor's hips.

"And I haven't even done anything yet," he said. "What will happen when we try touching? Sparks?"

Thor let out a shaky breath and grabbed his face with both hands, pulling him into a clumsy kiss, feeling an amused chuckle as much as hearing it and yes, yes, he wanted that sound, he wanted everything...

It was lucky his mouth was occupied when Loki pushed his thigh between Thor's legs, giving him a little friction, almost making him yelp with unexpected pleasure, gasping as Loki drew back slightly.

"Bed?" he suggested.

"Yes, please."

Oh, God, where had _that_ come from? That wasn't what you said...

"So polite," Loki said, teasing him a little. "I like that."

Thor ended up on his back, almost writhing with excitement, Loki lying on top of him still half dressed, devouring his kisses and rubbing against him just enough to leave him a frustrated mess. There was a whining sound in the air that he eventually identified as himself, desperately keen.

"What do you want, Thor?" Loki asked, pressing his lips to the heat of his cheeks.

He just about managed a positive garble, Loki drawing back to look him in the eye.

"Would you like me to fuck you like I said I would?"

"Yes, please."

A smile, another kiss.

"Please tell me you have lube and condoms."

Ah...

"Yes. Yes, just a... Just a second."

The lube was easy. Easily accessible from the bed. His only condom - embarrassingly thought of as his lucky condom, despite all evidence to the contrary - had to be retrieved from his wallet which was in his pocket, handing it over with a degree of sheepishness.

Loki twirled the packet between his fingers, light bouncing off it, effortlessly cool.

"You shouldn't keep them in your wallet, you know," he said. "The friction can weaken the rubber. I'm sure it will be fine though. My fingers or yours?"

How his brain hadn't short-circuited, Thor had no idea.

"Yours, please."

A smile from under dark lashes.

"Alright. Come here."

Showing his body. His whole body. He'd never done this before, almost holding his breath as his cock bounced free of his underwear like a particularly springy sapling, spreading his legs immediately.

"Mmm. Eager."

"Yes."

But tense. He knew he was, his heart racing, watching as Loki squirted out some lube and warmed it between his hand and reached down...

It felt so different, someone else's touch. Thor had done this dozens of times, maybe even hundreds, and yet he had to concentrate so much on keeping his breathing steady, on relaxing, letting Loki push one knuckle inside.

Didn't hurt. Did feel strange. Then again, everything he'd ever done was for immediate pleasure rather than as preparation. He wasn't brave enough to have any sex toys around, not where Uncle Vili might be hoovering.

"Hey," Loki said softly. "You OK?"

"Mm. Yeah."

He seemed reassured, adding more lube - and Thor hoped there was enough left in the bottle, he wasn't a good judge of how much might be needed - gradually and patiently working at his muscles, easing them into relaxing enough for a second finger.

OK, that hurt a little. Thor clenched his teeth, eyes closed.

"Still OK?"

"Yeah. Just... been a while, that's all."

"Tell me to stop any time."

"No. No, I just need a moment."

It was a little longer that that, but eventually something gave, some tension, and then Loki was stretching him properly, an alien sensation but proof that this really was happening, this stunning guy really wanted him...

"You ready?"

Was he?

"Sure, give it a shot."

Of course, his body immediately seized up, his breath coming in quick little gasps as he watched Loki roll the condom on, suddenly doubting that this was going to be possible.

Or rather he knew it was possible, he was an adult man with access to the internet, but all the same...

Kissing. Kissing was good, it helped to calm him a little, right up until he felt a distinct pressure.

Right. Right, he'd read about this, you had to bear down... And he didn't really know what that meant, but he'd give it a go anyway and if he was wrong, well...

Oh, God, it was working, he could feel it, someone else inside him, little by little but definite.

Loki sighed in pleasure, easing forward in a smooth motion, still kissing him, staying still once he was fully inside.

"How's that?" he murmured.

"OK," Thor managed. "Full."

"Ooh, flattery."

And then he started moving and Thor could feel his whole world being reorganised.

He'd always endeavoured not to put too much weight on his first time. Virginity was a social construct and all that. And, as with all things, the first attempt was unlikely to be instantly perfect.

But this was pretty damn close.

Every motion seemed to be in just the right place for maximum pleasure, his prostate - which he knew all about, honest - practically singing, his thighs wrapped tightly around Loki's hips and arching up into his motions.

There was no fear, so self-consciousness, none of the things he'd always thought would worry him about this situation, just enjoyment and a beautiful partner gazing down at him in obvious satisfaction. Enjoying him. And pleasing him in turn.

This was how it ought to be, Thor thought. Of course, it might be nice to not have so many questions floating around in the back of his mind, but you couldn't have everything.

He arched a little more, trying to spread his legs further, trying to pull Loki deeper, gasping as he began to go faster, a little harder.

"Good?"

"Uh-huh... Oh, fuck, like that."

"Yeah..."

Words were too complex right now. His hands had gravitated to Loki's lower back, feeling his muscles moving, so strong and lean.

He almost yelped when Loki wrapped a hand around his cock, stroking quickly, almost enough to make him come embarrassingly quickly. No, no, he wanted to last, he wanted...

"Stop holding back," Loki panted, out of breath, his hips never not moving but losing some rhythm, like he was close himself.

And so Thor didn't. He gasped and felt his muscles spasm, felt himself clench so hard, hearing Loki moan so softly and knowing they'd come within seconds of one another.

Not bad for his first time, he thought, reaching up to pull Loki into exhausted kisses, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs.

He knew Loki would have to go, but that didn't mean he had to like it when he started pulling back, having to force himself not to wrap his legs around him and trap him there.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on now?" he asked.

Loki took the condom off extremely carefully, knotting it and placing it in a box from his pocket. Weird. Weirder and weirder.

"You won't believe me."

"I might."

A sigh as he wiped off his chest with Thor's tissues and started getting dressed, no eye contact.

"I'm a professional killer. Or I will be, soon. But the trouble is, not many people actually put hits out these days. The risk is too great, too much of a trail. And so really the best way to make money in this industry is to protect paranoid people. Specialist bodyguard. And to train in that, you have to prove that you can keep someone, anyone, alive in the face of the most determined would-be assassin. My final test after years of training is to protect you. To keep you alive during a month where one of my future colleagues is doing their level best to terminate you. I've been following you, watching over you, that's why I know so much."

Thor had felt his eyes get wider and wider.

"The explosion," he said softly. "The bus..."

"And more besides."

It was terrifying to be faced with his own mortality. Worse to know that apparently someone wanted him dead.

"But why me? I'm not important. I'm no one. I'm just a guy who lives with his uncle. Who did I piss off?"

"No one. It's not about you. You were just chosen at random. But you'll be alright. I've broken so many rules that this attempt to graduate will provably be null and void in about an hour, if that. They'll leave you alone now."

How could he be so calm about this?

And why was the first question that sprang to his lips so inappropriate?

"Will I ever see you again?"

Loki looked at him in surprise.

"Probably not. And if you tell anyone, of course, I'd have to kill you. I'm not carrying my spunk home for fun - it's to limit how much of my DNA is sloshing around the place."

What a life. It sounded lonely.

"Well. You know where I am if you ever want to... You know. Do this again. Do me again."

Ugh, that was lame. But Loki was smiling as he put on his jacket.

"You never know. No promises though. And Thor?"

"Yeah?"

"Look after yourself. Seriously. I'll let myself out."

Thor watched him go and then flopped back on his bed, not wanting to clean up just yet.

Don't tell anyone? As if anyone would believe it...

***

Loki stepped out into the dark, his breath misting lightly. That had certainly been something. Unexpected, but wonderful. Thor clearly didn't have much experience, but he was so open with his pleasure, so clearly thrilled, his sweet little moans and sighs so authentic and...

Well, that body. That face. That whole thing. Who could blame him, really?

He slipped out of the garden, past the neatly trimmed hedge - Thor's work, no doubt - ducking under a swinging blade.

It was just teasing. If his mentor really wanted him dead, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"I really do think this is cheating, Loki," she said.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Oh, no matter. Happens to the best of us."

She led him calmly to an ordinary-looking car. He knew better than to bother asking if it was stolen as she got into the driver's seat.

"Even you?" he asked.

"Sometimes. Not too often, but occasionally. You get to know them quite well. It's only natural that sometimes urges happen."

Loki tried to let that soothe him.

"I've failed, haven't I?" he asked.

"Oh, definitely. But you'll get another shot, don't worry."

They drove off into the night, a question burning on the tip of Loki's tongue.

"Can we have romance, in this line of work?"

She sighed heavily.

"Oh, Loki..."

Well, it wasn't a no.


End file.
